title: Mental health among people with psoriasis undergoing patient education in climate therapy.
abstract: This study investigated the mental health of people with psoriasis undergoing patient education in climate therapy. A prospective design included a baseline assessment and two follow-ups after a 3-week patient education program. Participants were 254 adults. Positive mental health was measured by the mental health continuum short form (0-70), and negative mental health by the emotional distress subscale (1-4) of the health education impact questionnaire. Paired-samples t-tests were used to evaluate changes in mental health from baseline to follow-up. Multiple linear regression was used to analyse the ability of socio-demographic and clinical variables and emotional distress to predict changes in positive mental health. To predict change in negative mental health we repeated the same analysis but with a change in negative mental health as a dependent variable and positive mental health as an independent variable. The results show that positive mental health and health-related emotional distress improved significantly from before to after the intervention by 7.1 points, p < 0.001 and 0.21 points, p < 0.001) respectively. At the second follow-up, health-related emotional distress remained significantly improved compared with baseline levels by 0.11 points, p = 0.004. The longer participants had lived with psoriasis ( β = 146, p = 0.027), and the presence of co-morbid health problems (β  =  111, p = 0.051) the greater the improvement in the positive mental health immediately after the intervention. No predictors were identified for negative mental health. This study indicates that the promotion of positive mental health needs to be integrated into the climate therapy program, and sustained in their home context.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bergen University College, Norway.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Langeland
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moum
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Wahl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D013790:Climatotherapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Climate therapy; patient education; positive and negative mental health; prospective design; psoriasis